The stunning scandal that forced the resignation of CIA director David Petraeus and entangled the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, has analysts trying to decipher what may have been the causes of poor judgment, sexual improprieties and criminal acts recently plaguing the military.

In the past year, senior officers in the U.S. military have been investigated for adultery, bigamy, sodomy and other acts of misconduct.

On the same day General Allen became ensnared in the Petraeus scandal, a former four-star general who once led the U.S. Africa Command, William “Kip” Ward, was demoted for misusing taxpayer funds, military aircraft and staff.

“Well I think each individual case is serious. There is no doubt about that," said David Maxwell, a retired Army colonel now serving as the associate director of security studies at Georgetown University.

“Of course there is a lot more scrutiny now and a lot more access to information than in the past. But my gut instinct would say that these things have occurred in the past and they are probably not occurring at any greater rate than they ever have in the past, but they are much more visible.”

Retired Army General David Petraeus resigned as CIA director because of an extramarital affair.

General John Allen is being investigated for possible inappropriate communication with a woman.

Kori Schake is a research fellow at Stanford University and an associate professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

She says more than a decade of fighting wars has taken an enormous toll on soldiers and their families. “Some of the bad judgment that we are seeing is the result of weariness and people being asked a lot of for a long period of time without much respite to lay their cares down. That doesn’t by any means excuse those bad choices," she said.

Other analysts say an all-volunteer military force, representing about 1 percent of the nation, has separated those in uniform from the rest of civilian society.

They say the lifestyle of top officers could encourage bad behavior.

Retired Army Colonel Maxwell said, “To say that commanders at that level are caught up in the trappings or in the pomp and circumstance of those positions I think is a mischaracterization. Certainly some do, some have and you can’t deny that. But the vast majority of them are focused on the mission.”

U.S. Military Academy associate professor Kori Schake says in some extreme circumstances commanders might believe they have earned the right to disregard the rules of conduct.

“Some of them who have been deployed several times in the last ten years doing very hard and dangerous work for the country sometimes feel that nobody else is doing anything important for the country. And I think that is actually quite dangerous. We don’t want a military that views itself as different and better," she said.

Analysts say with the increased scrutiny of the officer corps, senior leaders will need to be ever more vigilant about their behavior.

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

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At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

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American warplanes joined Iraq's battle against the so-called 'Islamic State' in northern Iraq late Wednesday, as Iraqi ground troops launched a massive assault on Tikrit. Analysts say the offensive could take the coalition a step further towards Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State forces. Others say it could also deepen already-dangerous sectarian tensions in the region. VOA's Heather Murdock has more from Cairo.

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Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured by the country’s tropical beaches. But Jason Strother reports from Manila that the country hopes to entice more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

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The continued fighting in eastern Ukraine and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the separatist fighters. Many of the new recruits are residents of Ukraine made bitter by new grievances, as well as old. VOA's Patrick Wells reports.

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Islamic State fighter, a prisoner of Kurdish YPG forces, asked his family asking for forgiveness: "I destroyed myself and I destroyed them along with me." The Syrian youth was one of two detainees who spoke to VOA’s Kurdish Service about the path they chose; their names have been changed and identifying details obscured. VOA's Zana Omer reports.

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More is being discovered about the co-pilot in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps. Investigators say he was hiding a medical condition, raising questions about the mental qualifications of pilots. VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports.

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In cities with heavily congested traffic, people can get around much faster on a motorcycle than in a car. But a rider who is not sure of his route may have to stop to look at the map or consult a GPS. A Russian start-up company is working to make navigation easier for motorcyclists. Designers at Moscow-based LiveMap are developing a smart helmet with a built-in navigation system, head-mounted display and voice recognition. Zlatica Hoke has more.

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U.S. federal law enforcement agents arrested two suburban Chicago men accused of trying to join ISIS overseas, while also plotting attacks in the United States. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, one of those arrested is a soldier of the Illinois National Guard.

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Traditional push-rim wheelchairs create a lot of stress for arm, shoulder and neck muscles and joints. A redesigned chair, based on readily available bicycle technology, radically increases mobility while reducing the physical effort. VOA’s George Putic reports.

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Beatrice Yardolo was to make history as Liberia’s last Ebola patient. Liberians recently started counting down 42 days, the period that has to go by without a single new infection until the World Health Organization can declare a country Ebola-free. That countdown stopped on March 20 when there was another new case of Ebola, making Yardolo’s story a reminder that Ebola is far from over. Benno Muchler reports from Monrovia.

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Indigenous communities in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province say the government’s economic land concession policy is taking away their land and traditional way of life, making many fear that their identity will soon be lost. Local authorities, though, have denied this is the case. VOA's Say Mony went to investigate and filed this report, narrated by Colin Lovett.

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One of the films that drew big crowds last week at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tells the story of the last human being to stand on the moon, U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan. It has been 42 years since Cernan returned from the moon and he laments that no one else has gone there since. VOA’s Greg Flakus reports.